We went there for a quick bite to eat at lunchtime. We sat at the bar. The host, the servers, and the bartenders were friendly and helpful. Our drinks were outstanding!!! The bartender, Carlos, is definitely a mixologist. He knew exactly how to make what we asked for - a Mexican martini We had 5 dishes. All of them were outstanding. My favorites were: The artichokes (such good flavors), the bacon wrapped dates, the queso de cabra, the steak with carmelized onions and horseradish sauce (outstanding), and the pincho de limon (which wasn't our favorite, but it was still good)! Such a great experience. I seriously considered going back for dinner. Well done Tapas Valencia. read more

The food here is absolutely delicious! I was impressed with the Remolacha (beet salad) and the Chuleta de Cerdo. Table next to me got paella and I will definitely be back for that. Service was friendly but a little slow. I had to wait for the host for more than 5min and for the waiter as well once I got seated. Could be that I was solo dining but overall too long of a wait time in my opinion. It's a lovely location and I sat indoors where there was a live musician which created a Spanish plaza vibe. I recommend dining here! read more

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Disappointing Experience at Tapas Valencia on Friday night with manager. I was incredibly disheartened during our recent visit to Tapas Valencia, one of our favorite restaurants in our neighborhood. We walked in, excited for a nice evening out without of town guest, only to be turned away and told they were fully booked for the evening. What was even more frustrating was that when I checked online shortly after, there were tables available within 30 minutes of leaving the restaurant. Living less than a block away and having been regular visitors, this experience was particularly disheartening. The manager's lack of care when turning us away left a sour taste, and it felt as though our loyalty didn't matter at all. With so many dining options within walking distance, we decided to take our business down the street. We usually visit Tapas Valencia about twice a month, but after how we were treated this evening, it's clear that we won't be returning. It's unfortunate, but the way we were treated has led us to seek out other dining experiences. read more

Stopped here for happy hour before going to the Mexico soccer game. It wasn't too busy. I liked the decor. We sat at the bar. The sangria was delicious! Not too sweet or watered down. It's hard to find a solid sangria in the city. But the food left me wanting more. I could've done with more seasoning. I did like the steak slider. read more

Tapas Valencia - Steak sliders, Queso de Cabra, PATATAS BRAVAS, meatballs. - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here with friends and we ordered different plates. The food is so so good. I just kind of wish it was more servings for some of the food. All the staff was knowledgeable and friendly the sangria I underestimated we ordered the picture and you could easily have six drinks out of the one picture and the picture looks super small. The sangria could use a little more sweet, but it was still good. The vibe is very chill. It was kind of quiet given the amount of people that was in there and the space is huge. read more

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I want to emphasize that I ordered delivery! Let me start by saying I recently went to Barcelona so I was looking forward to getting some tapas. Played it pretty safe with the order and it was still a disaster unfortunately. Nothing has descriptions so though i thought i played it safe i didn't cause nearly everything had goat cheese in it which i cant stand. Honestly just not my type of cuisine but a friend who recommended it to me said it was the best tapa place. read more

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We had a later reservation for dinner on a Thursday night. It felt as if we might be the last table and therefore things were a little rushed. We ordered a vegetable and seafood paella. Neither of them were overly flavorful, and the rice was certainly not cooked correctly. The apps we shared were pretty good, but nothing stood out or was memorable. There was another group in the restaurant having a holiday party, so there is some excitement. But the rest of the experience was just how fast could they get us in and out. read more

Tapas Valencia - Mule - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A small group of people from California have been going to Chicago, for work, a couple of times a year for at least the last 10+ years. Tapas Valencia has been one place that we try to get to at least once a year. The drinks are always delicious. The food is great and the service has always been outstanding. This past week we were there again and very pleased that it is still as great as ever. Always looking forward to returning. read more

We're drawn to the vibrant energy of the Miro and Picasso prints on the walls--they infuse the space with color and life. Adding to the ambiance is a roaming guitarist, whose live music brings a warm, dynamic touch to the experience. The bar service is excellent, with staff who are attentive and welcoming. While the prices lean toward the higher side and the entree portions are on the smaller end, the dishes feel lighter and healthier compared to other tapas spots in the city. It's a refined take on casual dining, with atmosphere to match. read more

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Came here to try their tapas. Was pleasantly surprised to learn they are by the same owners as Meson Sabika! The ambiance was very nice, slightly dimly lit but not too intimidatingly formal or casual - would be a safe place for a lot of different occasions. Service was really nice and they came by often. Tapas selections: - Patatas bravas - had enough manchego cheese but was a bit salty - Queso de Cabra - staple favorite, really flavorful! - Champiñones Rellenos - a bit oily but still stuffed well, you get a good portion (4 big sizes) - Alcachofas a la Mostaza - didn't exactly look like the website photo - didn't come with greens, was just artichokes and vinegar drizzle, was pretty sour and tough to eat, but the garlic made it easier! I would definitely return! I would just stick with my favorites only. If you're a vegetarian it can be tough to justify tapas unless it blows your socks off, and it unfortunately was more in mid range per my preferences and how plates were cooked. read more

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Absolutely atrocious for valentines dinner. The steak was supposed to be medium rare. Came out RAW. The mashed potatoes were bland, the lobster was rubbery, the cold appetizers were terrible tasting. The food here sucks and I paid $99 per person. So $200 for an absolutely terrible dinner. I'll never come back here. This place needs Gordon Ramsay. read more

Tapas Valencia has become a family go to for celebrations in the city. The options are endless and the family style tapas allow us to try them all! Favorites lately have been the empanada be buey, albóndigas, buñuelos and jamón ibérico. All the paellas are also great and huge portions to share. Sangria is a must (the red sangria is my favorite) and they have extensive flavor options and other drinks as well. When we were here last, there was a man playing guitar and singing and he was very talented and the sound was set at a good volume. Recommend stopping in for happy hour to get a good taste at even better prices too! read more

Came here at 1pm for lunch and 5 min later we put in our seafood paella order since we were so excited and it takes 45 min. I also put in an order for the shrimp in garlic sauce. Everyone else's food came out and I only had 5 small shrimp (for $17 mind you, and one had a noticeable undercooked texture to it) because I have to eat gluten free and was expecting the paella. We finished and he brought out the dessert menus... no paella. He forgot to put it in!!! When I inquired about it he said it would be another 20 min so we cut out losses and left. I ended up having to go somewhere else because I was starving. Oh and the non-alcoholic sangria is just fruit punch with no resemblance of sangria whatsoever so huge misnomer. This place was an incredibly overpriced disappointment and no manager ever came over to apologize or comp anything for the paella being completely missed other than just not charging us for it. read more

Tapas Valencia - Overpriced shrimp portion - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I highly recommend coming here for tapas. They have a wide selection of tapas which I love. They had live music when I went which was on Friday. The service was a bit slow for my liking but the food was delicious! This is one of the better tapas place food wise. I loved the datiles con tocino, patatas bravas, and the and the Empanada de Buey, but everything else we ordered was declined as well. I would have loved to try more items on their menu but I was so full. Their sangrias are also delicious and reasonably priced as well. For happy hour, they have half off tapas which is a good deal as well. I wish I lived a bit closer even though I walked here but it was a very long walk. The walk was more so to feel better after eating so much but it was worth it. read more

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There was so much to like about Tapas Valencia and yet I don't feel I can give them more than 3 stars....possibly 3.5, but can't do 4 stars. This was another pick for Restaurant Week 2023, so this was my first time here. Let's start with the pros: interesting interior with a funky vibe. Great mosaic art on the back walls that was very pretty. The tables are of a nice size, so the four top we had was able to accommodate a fair number of dishes. I highly recommend the Sangria Flight. The Queen got this and you pick four flavors from a selection of Strawberry, Peach, Prickly Pear, Mango, Pomegranate or Watermelon. I sampled all four and they were delish. Have to say I was surprised by the size of the glasses that were use and in a pleasant way as it was a decent pour for each one. For dinner we went with the restaurant week menu. First course was Ibéricos de la Casa (Iberico cured meats served with Marcona almonds, Piparra peppers, olives, and tomato bread). Interesting that there was no cheese, but the tomato bread was amazing as well as the meats. For the second course, we had the Costilla Riojana (slow roasted beef short ribs served with white truffle oil infused purée potatoes, wild mushrooms, and a red wine sauce) and Branzino a la Plancha (grilled Mediterranean Sea bass served with sautéed kale, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and a lemon butter sauce). Both of these dishes were wonderful, with me sampling the fish dish and loving it. As a note, I am not a fish eater, so for me to say it was good is a compliment. In addition we got two additional small plates: Calamares a la Plancha (grilled squid with garlic olive oil and Albondigas con Almendras (lamb, beef, and pork meatballs served with spicy tomato sauce and toasted almonds). Absolutely delish! Dessert was Pastel de Bailey's (Bailey's infused cheesecake with chocolate chips on hazelnut crust, served with raspberry sauce) and Pastel de Tres Sabores (Tri-layered cake of chocolate sponge infused with grand Torres orange liqueur; cava infused chocolate mousse; and liquor 43 infused caramel mousse). Not really a cheesecake fan so I can't speak on it, but The Doctor and Queen loved it. I had the Pastel de Tres Sabores and that was lovely. Now for the cons: there were no prices on the menu online, so I was not able to get a read on the wine situation in terms of price. I took a bottle of Veuve Clicquot with me and had to pay a $25 corkage fee, which I feel is high. Once we sat down and got menus, I could see that they had pretty decent prices for cavas, with the most expensive one being $39. FYI, corkage fee is per bottle. Prices for some of the small plates is high based on the portion size. If you look at the grilled squid, this was almost a $20 dish, clocking in at $17.95. As great as it was, there was not that much there. Same for the meatballs, very good but small in size. For dinner, the menu clearly stated that I would be getting an entrée, not a small plate or tapas, but an entrée. As you can see from the photo, the short rib had just enough meat to possible put on a slider bun. For $42 I actually expect to eat an entrée, not a small plate. Now the fish dish was clearly closer to an entrée portion. Our server Victoria was wonderful and took good care of us. Now would I come back here, most definitely but probably to check out the $3 bar bites instead. I totally understand the concept of tapas as I have been to Spain and other great restaurants. And normally prices downtown don't bother me, but due to amount of food for some of what we got, I would not do dinner here. I really wanted to love this place and I will most likely go back and possibly revisit my review, but this is where I stand for now. read more

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Amazing food, affordable pricing and the most welcoming knowledgeable servers who help you get what you want and have great recommendations! I got the sangria flight for $25... BEST DECISION!!! Amazing flavors!!!!! Our server was Carlos and he was so friendly, wanted us to have the best experience and knew what to recommend if we were on the edge of a decision! We will be back in the summer for their patio! read more

Came out with family for dinner. They were more than welcoming and accommodating with dietary restrictions on my part and they had the entrees come out with the paella. The restaurant week menu was amazing. No words honestly. Nice crowd came out, dimmed the lights at the right time, it was super chill. Shout out to Tino and his squad (the runner and the busser). Quite the team, super efficient. Thank you for the overall experience! read more

Delicious food! Very authentic. We had the house salad, shrimp plancha, lamb chops with asparagus and roasted potatoes, and filet with mashed potatoes. They brought olives on the house. Drinks were great. Pear tart/cake wonderful. Services friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend. read more

Wow, what a spectacular meal! Came here for dinner after I'd heard great things about this restaurant from local South Loop friends. As indicated by the name, the specialty is tapas, small dishes meant to be shared between a group. Each tapas dish is sized like a small appetizer, so between 5 of us we ordered 7 dishes, plus the paella and dessert. Everything was delicious, but if I had to pick my favorites: 1) Pipirriana de Buey - skirt steak, potatoes, and onions smothered in cream sauce and blue cheese. 2) Empanada de Buey - a crispy puff pastry filled with seasoned ground beef. 3) Paella Valenciana - seafood paella with mussels, clams, and chicken (tip: it takes 45 minutes to make so order it first thing, especially if you are undecided on what else to order or you're waiting on guests). The service was excellent--our waiter was just the right amount of present and very friendly and attentive. The ambiance was great for a group, dimly lit and a great vibe for a casual group dinner or a romantic dinner for two as well! I'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Walked in after a day at the McCormick. Had a big group but we were still accomodated properly. I forgot the name of the server but he was awesome. Where he's getting his energy from, i have no idea. Food was phenomenal, everything that was recommended and we tried were good. Service was exveptional and place had a good vibe. read more

Great Sunday night dinner with our daughter. The drinks and specials were delicious! The service was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Our server was great! We had the Crema de Champiñones, Queso de Cabra, Pollo al Limon, and Arroz con Jamón Serrano. Two of these were from the specials menu and I hope they keep them. The Spanish music created a great ambiance and we were able to get a table without a reservation. read more

Service was perfect. We sat outside, and the waiter was not only pleasant but extremely accommodating as well as attentive but not in a pushy way. He not only addressed our likes on food but also our tastebuds. He asked what we liked, and from there, it became easy street. Highly recommend the prickly pear sangria, and if you like fruit, this is the one. They have several to choose from, but this one was simply perfect. We had the calamari on potatoe tapas, and although it could be shared, it was only 3 pieces and maybe enough for 1. But it worked out for us. The paella was delicious but of course average for my taste. I've had better, but this one was delicious. The flan was seriously good. I would eat that again and again. Its texture was really velvety, and the slivhered almonds gave it the perfect balance. All in all, I would definitely recommend this Spanish restaurant, but parking is a hassle, and it can be pricey. read more

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Wonderful interesting food. Decent wine. A lot of fun ! I am a periodic customer for several years since some friends first took me there. read more

Great happy hour deal! Sit at the bar on weeknights and you can get $5 bar bites. They're small portions, but delicious. I had the bacon wrapped dates- they came in a set of 3 and had a great sweetness/ texture. Patatas bravas were spicy. The coca de queso had a little too much balsamic vinegar, but the tomatoes were a nice burst of freshness. read more

We ordered a mix of cold and hot tapas and they were all alright. Our favorite was the queso de cobra, which is essentially goat cheese baked in tomato sauce! The dish is served with garlic bread and makes for a wonderful combination Though the food wasn't fantastic, I am impressed by their big menu and may come back again to try their other dishes. read more

Tapas Valencia - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great food and service! We sat inside because it was so hot out today but the patio looked really nice. Nice decor and fun music inside. Usually with tapas I order WAY too much but our server was really helpful with guiding us on how much to get - it was the perfect amount. Very reasonably priced too for how much we got, including a pitcher of sangria. read more

Tapas Valencia - Paella - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside. It is very nicely decorated and definitely reminded me of Barcelona designs and architecture. We were seated immediately and offered drinks. All the food was very delicious with lots of flavor, however with the prices we paid, we expected bigger portions (at least to be able to take food home). The desserts were delicious and overall the service was great. I think next time I'll try the paella as I'm sure that would be a bigger portion. read more

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Food is always excellent as is the service. Location is great with free street parking.

One of my favorite places in the city for dates, group outings and even solo missions. Staff is always smiling and greeting you upon entrance and the vibe here is very chill and cool. Truly some of the best tapas you will get in the city..hands down! The sangria is always on point and they have different variations. Red is my favorite, but the white, strawberry, pomegranate and peach sangrias are very good as well. Full bar here so you can get beer, wine or whatever floats your boat. The Paella here is as good as any that I had in Barcelona. Keep it in mind that it takes awhile to make so give it about 40 minutes to come out of the kitchen after ordering. There are different versions but I enjoy the Valenciana Paella which includes saffron rice, shrimp, chicken, mussels and clams. Very delicious! I normally order some starters to tide me over until the paella comes out. See below.... Bacon Wrapped Dates Patatas Bravas Croquetas de Jamon y Pollo Grilled Lamb Chops Grilled Octopus Good spot in a good location! I recommend! read more

Tapas Valencia - Red Sangria - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a nice time here for my cousins birthday. The food was good but nothing outstanding. The waitress was very nice and helped us pick out some of our dishes. The spicy margarita was good, but the spice and ice cucumber cocktail was outstanding. We were able to have a good lively conversation and still hear each other which is always nice. Only taking away a star because the food was just average when it comes to tapas. read more

Tapas Valencia - Spice and Ice & seafood paella - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a fun date night. There is a spacious bar, cute decor and on Friday there was live music with Spanish guitar. Great happy hour deal, $3 small bites at the bar. Also, they have the BEST olives on the planet. The menu has great variety. I recommend the grilled shrimp, the goat cheese apps, and the skirt steak with blue cheese. read more

Great tapas and food!! We loved everything we ordered! The kids reordered TWICE of off the kids menu too! We had the bacon wrapped dates, patatas bravas, queso de Cabra. Sangria, octopus, and all was amazing! Service was really great too! read more

Tapas Valencia - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I simply love this restaurant. I've been coming here for many years and it is still my go to for any anniversary, birthday, graduation, bad day.. you name it, I'm there! The service is always great, especially this last time I went and regret not taking the waiters name as he was the best waiter. We started out with Pincho de Solomillo which is very tender beef tenderloin and a horseradish dip. Only regret is that I didn't order another dish of this tasty dish. The 2nd was the Croquetas de Jamón y Pollo which is usually the reason I crave Tapas. They are very crispy, tender on the inside and the tomato sauce is delish. Also on the table was the Pincho de Pollo which is also very tender and flavorful with a nice cream based sauce which I also dip my patatas bravas into. We ordered a few more dishes like the champiñones Rellenos and dátiles de tocino along with a flight of sangria which will leave you feeling very content. For the birthday boy we ordered the Tarta de Chocolate y Caramelo. This was such a delectable dessert that was creamy and not overwhelming with chocolate. Amazing food! Fantastic read more

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Came here for a Sunday solo brunch. I sat at the bar and the service was great. I was surprised how empty the bar was during brunch time. I ordered the Huevos Estilo Valencia that was tasty. The reason for 4 stars is that the mimosas were super heavy on the orange juice and not worth the price. I would return for dinner sometime. read more

Tapas Valencia - Huevos Estilo Valencia and mimosa - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

**Vegetarian Friendly** Hidden tapas spot in South Loop! The restaurant is larger than it looks with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We came for Happy Hour $3 Tapas! Who wouldn't be excited?! Happy Hour is only available at the bar, and requires one drink purchase. Overall, their food and drink menu is massive, there is something for everyone. They were able to alter many of the dishes to be vegetarian friendly. Personally, the regular menu is overpriced for tapas, but I highly recommend the Happy Hour! read more

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Tapas Valencia is a gem in South Loop - accessible, great food, flexible ambiance from sit down to the bar. For the food, there are enough vegetarian tapas to keep me satisfied. Vegetables, potatoes (yes I guess that's also a vegetable), cheeses, etc are all solid. Good cocktail options and sangria. Solid chocolate dessert choices (and non chocolate, but those are not for me to comment on). Oh and they have complimentary valet, but street parking is generally easy. Just a great go to place. Wish we had come more when we lived in South Loop! read more

Tapas Valencia - Tarta and the bailey's cheesecake (latter is limited time restaurant week item only I think). - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

DO NOT COME HERE DURING RESTAURANT WEEK!!!!Womp womp wooommmmp! Biggest let down ever during restaurant week!!!! We actually had guests come in from LA and we chose this place because we knew in the past how great it was. Also, we couldn't say no since they had great choices from their courses to choose from. Our server was great but what was weird is how long the food took to actually come out and there was barely anyone in the joint. We ordered and got our appetizers first: they were really good especially the garlic potato salad. The sangria was ok but a bit watered down. We then are asked if we are ready for the entrees and we were but then 15 mins passed by..... waiting ..... another 20 and we are told the bad news is they do not have the halibut we ordered but they are just going to sub with salmon..... we asked if there was any other option as this was def not a great substitute. The chef literally came out with three plates of the steak option 10 mins later - no sorry- no explanation, nothing. We all cut into the meat and it was as raw dog as you could get in the middle. Maybe that's your thing and maybe you like to just be told what you're going to eat by someone but the experience was mortifying for out of town guests. We asked to get the sides of the halibut dish as the steak dish had truffle oil that the person was allergic to and our server made sure to rectify the situation- he was the only one to actually care in the situation as our friend just decided not to eat the meal or want to say anything. Dessert was good - nothing special but it took a good 35 mins to get the plates. It's was a sad night to say the least. Super awesome server but as for the restaurant as a whole it sounds like there's no communication between anyone because the server said they ran out of halibut since the day before and he was not aware until then. No manager, no chef, no one came to our table. No one spoke up except the server and we explained how it wasn't his fault and appreciated him trying to problem solve the situation. Will not return to here.... We would have been better off at a portillos at this point :( so sad to see this place go downhill after many years of great meals and service. read more

Small plates to share, particularly for us who do not know these type of food well. Service is great. Food are all tasty.

There is a large selection of food, which is great in a way, and there are lots of vegetarian and gluten free options available. The variety is definitely there, which goes hand in hand with having a large menu. The portion is on the smaller end, and you may have to order two dishes for one person if you really want to be full. In terms of taste, I would not say it is over the top amazing, but it is for sure solid, and there are some dishes worth getting twice! I had the Salteado de Hortalisas and I really enjoyed it. Overall also good atmosphere, especially since it is located among the residential areas of South Loop, which is convenient for people who live in that area read more

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SMALL PLATES BUT BIG FLAVORS. I'm such a sucker for tapas and drinks so I would definitely recommend Tapas Valencia. I only have pictures of 3 dishes but we got at least 10-15 between 6 people. Most dishes we tried were the hot tapas, my favorite (not pictured) were the empanadas. I wasn't the biggest fan of the fish because I felt like there could've been more flavor and seasoning. Don't skip out on their drinks! Their sangrias are refreshing and everything else I tried was delicious. Not going to lie, it's very pricey and is best for special occasions just because of how much you're going to order. read more

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